subject: Why Your Equipment Could Benefit From Hardness Test [print this page] To measure how suitable materials are for their intended use or to indicate the product quality it is important to understand the mechanical properties of these component materials.
Tensile testing is just one method of certifying the performance and quality of component materials. This kind of test will determine the resistance of materials to stretching or pulling forces. The amount of force required to break materials and the amount it plastically deforms or extends is an important property.
Determining the tensile qualities of engineering materials used in structures and mechanical devices is an important factor. The testing will typically involve using a small sample of the material, with a fixed cross section area and then pulling it with a controlled, gradually increasing force until it breaks or changes shape.
Tensile testing is both a qualitative and quantitative test as it is also carried out to determine whether the materials meet the necessary strength requirements.
Another method of ascertaining quality and strength is the hardness test. This test measures the resistance of materials to indentation and can also be used to indicate resistance to scratching and abrasion.
The most common way of achieving a hardness value is to measure the area or depth of an indentation left by a specific shape of indenter, with a specific force, applied for a specific time.
The hardness of a metal is related approximately to its tensile strength (not to be confused with the yield strength), particularly for none-austenitic ferrous materials. It is also used as a rapid in process check for heat treatment.
There are various methods and scales for measuring the hardness of materials, including the Rockwell, Brinell and Vickers methods but all can be used to characterise materials and determine if they are suitable for their intended use.
To succeed in today's competitive marketplace it is essential that materials and equipment are maintained to the highest levels of quality, accuracy and efficiency. Tensile testing and use of the hardness test can help determine these factors and will provide useful information to assist in the development of new materials.
